


What Is To Be Done (About this Great New Thing)

by Cinder_the_Great



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-06-21 13:50:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15559113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cinder_the_Great/pseuds/Cinder_the_Great
Summary: When Krolia put her life on the line to protect the universe from the Galra Empire's reign, she never thought she'd end up somewhere like the planet humans call Earth. But, she's determined to make the best of it, and protect the Blue Lion as best she can.And hey, with this new human she's met, being stuck on Earth may not be so bad after all.





	1. First Landing

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> I'm excited to present my newest work to you all. I've been thinking of writing something like this for a while, and I've really enjoyed writing it. I hope that you enjoy it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Happy reading!

It all started when she made the decision to take out the other officer. She couldn’t help it- he was getting too close to one of the Voltron lions. As a sworn member of the Blade of Marmora, Krolia’s duty was to keep any and all of the lions out of the reach of the empire. So, she turned her speed up to the max, fried Lieutenant Larx’s ship, and hurtled towards this strange new blue and green planet at incredible speeds. She didn’t know if she’d make it there in one piece, but she did know that if she did die, she’d’ve done it protecting the universe from the wrath of the Galran Empire. Krolia’s eyes narrowed in conviction.

“ Vrepit Sa.”

\----

Krolia awoke to an incredibly blurry version of the inside of her cockpit. She groaned as she tried to position herself into sitting upright, or at least, as upright as she could be in a sideways ship. A footstep- in what sounded like some sort of sandy soil- sounded outside, and Krolia instinctively kicked all of her senses into overdrive, straining to hear anything more. She reached for her knife which, thankfully, had not impaled her on her trip to this new planet. Krolia held the knife in her hand where it rested comfortably, having been there countless times during missions, training, and moments of doubt.

As the footsteps got closer to her ship, Krolia tried her best to get into some sort of readied stance. She grimaced as she began to feel the extent of her injuries from the crash. Krolia sincerely hoped that the creatures that call this planet home were peaceful, or would at least allow her a chance to talk. She felt her world fading back out of focus as she felt her whole ship shake with some kind of attack- surely. Or possibly...she had to remain...cautious. Remain...awake...just...keep...ffffffff…

The last thing Krolia saw before her vision faded out was some strange figure peering over her, appearing concerned. “Good,” she thought. “Maybe that means they won’t kill me.”

\----

Krolia awoke in a strange bed in a strange room. She opened her eyes slightly in order to scope out her surroundings. What she saw was a simple room, decorated only with a chest of drawers, some primitive display device, and the creature from earlier. They were sitting in a chair in the opposite corner of the room, opposing the bed Krolia was laying in. They looked docile and...bored. Yes, Krolia would definitively say that they looked bored. However, most importantly, on the bedside table next to her she saw her knife. 

_“What kind of idiot would leave a stranger’s knife right next to them?”_ Krolia wondered. _“Is it possible they’re passive? It doesn’t matter, I can quickly grab it if things go downhill.”_

Krolia gave another look to the stranger, who had turned his attention to a spot on the wall. Before she could turn her gaze away, they sensed her looking at them and turned their head to look at her. 

Krolia quickly closed her eyes, but the stranger had seen her. She heard their chair creak as they got up, and their footsteps as they approached her. 

When the footsteps stopped by the bedside, Krolia opened her eyes and sat up. “I don’t know why you brought me here, but if your intent is harm, I can assure you that it will not go well.”

The creature smiled and held their hands up in a carefree motion. “Easy there. I have no intent to harm you. I just wanted to check out what crashed in my front yard, and bring you in to patch you up.” The creature let down their hands, as Krolia looked on still somewhat suspiciously. “You looked pretty rough there for a minute.”

“I have some questions.”

“Shoot.”

Krolia looked at the creature in bewilderment. “You want me to shoot you?”

The creature laughed, strangely enough. “No, no, I meant you to ask your questions. It’s a figure of speech here uh...on this planet.”

“I’ll make note of that,” said Krolia, glancing at her knife once more. The creature must have noticed because they picked it up. Krolia tensed until she noticed that the creature hold it out to her. 

“Here,” they said. “I didn’t want it hurting you while you were laying there. Take it, please.” 

Krolia reached forward and quickly snatched her knife out of the creature’s hands, placing it safely in its sheath at the small of her back. She looked back up to face the creature. “My questions.”

“Ask away.”

“What does your race call themselves?”

“Humans. The human race, if you’re into specifics.”

Krolia blinked, unamused. “And is your race divided into sexes?”

“Yes.”

“How many?” Krolia began to settle into her position on the bed, getting more comfortable.

“As in genitalia? Three, counting intersex. But we have many ways to identify as if you’re thinking about gender,” said the creature, now known to Krolia as a human. 

“And how do you identify?”

“As a man- er, a ‘him,’ if you’re familiar.”

“I am.”

“Oh, uh, I didn’t mean-”

“I know,” said Krolia, who was becoming amused at where this conversation was heading. “I’m a ‘her,’ if you couldn’t tell. I trust you’re familiar.”

The man became more flustered. “Oh, I-”

“Oh, I don’t need the details.” Krolia moved to stand up, and the man moved to the side to allow her to rise. She faced him, hands clasped at her front. “What kind of planet is this? Are there many hostile creatures?”

The man shrugged. “It’s pretty nice, I’d guess. We have water, and life, and dangerous life in most parts, some more dangerous than others. Depends on where you are and how prepared you are, I guess.”

Krolia nodded, then spoke. “And are you free people?”

Scratching his neck and wrinkling his eyebrows, the man responded. “Well, I reckon that depends on who you ask. I’m free to do as I please, and so are most of the people in my nation, but things like that do still happen I guess. I’m not familiar with any cases personally though.”

Krolia nodded again sympathetically, then loosened her stance to look around the room. She walked over to the windows to look out over the land at this planet’s sun rising over its horizon.

 

“And what do you call this planet?”

The man walked closer to the bed and placed his hand on the bedpost, looking out at the sunrise and the strange woman in his room with a look that conveyed nothing, and answered.

“Earth.”


	2. Misunderstood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krolia's ship is badly damaged, preventing her from leaving or contacting the Blade of Marmora, and the man she's met keeps asking too many pointed questions. But, after thinking about it, is she really sure that she wants to leave at all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, all!
> 
> I have really been enjoying continuing to write this, and again, I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as I've been enjoying writing it and coming up with where I want this to go. I'm incredibly grateful for all the positive attention that this project of mine has gotten, and I can only hope that you all continue to enjoy it as it goes on.
> 
> Happy reading!

In the days and weeks that passed during Krolia’s recovery, she came to know more and more about this planet called Earth. She learned of its cycles, called seasons, and how they affected life on the planet, and she learned about many other if its intricacies, but she also learned about the man who had saved her from her downed ship.

Krolia thanked him many times for saving her, and for assisting her and telling her more about the planet she had landed on as she recovered, and she meant it, but she was conflicted as to whether or not she should tell him about the Voltron lion that called this planet home. She knew that it was somewhere near his home, as her and Lt. Larx had been lingering over the spot where the lion was giving off the strongest signal before her crash, but even after spending a number of weeks with him, she had no idea how the human would react to the idea of an alien weapon being unknowingly harbored here on his planet. Hell, she didn’t even know his name yet. He didn’t know hers, either. He’d been called out to missions every so often- she understood that he was a firefighter- and when he wasn’t on those missions, he wandered around the house quietly, usually only speaking to ask if she needed anything; new bandages, water, food. Krolia didn’t know if she could tell him, but she was pretty sure that she could trust him, and she was just going to have to rely on that when it came time to decide whether to tell him or not.

\-----

Several more days passed, and Krolia’s state was improving vastly. She was able to comfortably walk over to the man’s workshop- Jeff, he had revealed to her that his name was Jeff- and see what he was working on. He had hauled the wreckage of her crashed ship inside of it and was trying his best to repair it.

Jeff asked Krolia to help him with her ship, and she was happy to. She really didn’t want him doing irreversible damage of any kind to it, and with him looking for a guiding hand, she was happy to put her old mechanical skills to work again.

“So, these thrusters run on...what, again?” Jeff asked, his hand resting on the chassis of the ship, peering into the practically crushed pieces.

“Quintessence, or Balmeran crystals if you can figure out how to rig them,” responded Krolia, moving over to crouch next to Jeff and the broken thrusters. 

Jeff looked to Krolia confusedly, and she looked up at him in response. “So...what are those again?”

Krolia turned back to the thrusters and placed her hand on the nearest one in thought. “Quintessence is what powers the universe- as well as everything in it. Every creature, with the exception of what I’m guessing very few, are powered by it, along with the planets and galaxies they call home. It can be extracted from these creatures and planets by what I’d call...more than nefarious means.”

Jeff began to look a little scared. “And how is that?”

Krolia stood up to her full height and looked Jeff in the eyes. “By destroying the planets and all the life on them. It can be done to individuals as well, but it’s a process I’d rather not go into detail about.

“Oh.”

As Krolia went back to examining the thrusters, Jeff paused before speaking up again. “And what about the Balmherea-what now crystals? They much better?”

“Yes, they usually are.”

“Usually?!” Jeff exclaimed. “Are there any ways to power Galran spaceships without killing everything?”

Krolia, who had moved around the back end of her ship, didn’t bother looking up to answer Jeff’s question. “Yes, but I’ve already told you that the empire doesn’t exactly care about consequences that much if they don’t involve them losing a battle.”

Jeff walked around the ship so that Krolia was in his full view. “If the Galra are so terrible, why haven’t you killed me yet or anything, or commandeered my house?” Jeff could see Krolia becoming more irritated, but he kept talking. “Why are you a part of that crap?”

Almost before Jeff could blink again, Krolia was in his face, and she was angry. “I don’t know what you think you are, but you don’t know anything about what goes on within the empire. What I have told you has barely scratched the surface of what they’ve done or how powerful they are. If you had any idea how difficult it is to infiltrate an empire that has been ruling for 10,000 years-”

“10,000?!”

Krolia took a step back and spoke again. “I'm not done. If you knew what I- what the Galra like me- had to do to even put a dent in the empire, you would not have said what you just said.”

Krolia turned to walk out of the shed, but before she let the shed’s door close behind her, she looked back at Jeff. “Do not question my intention again.”

And with that, Krolia was gone from Jeff’s shed, and Jeff was left with his mouth agape, standing next to a ship he had no idea what to think of, and at the edge of a universe he knew nothing about.

\-----

Krolia left the shed feeling angry. She was angry at how ignorant this man was. She was angry that he had questioned her alignment. But mostly, she felt frustrated. Frustrated and alone. She was frustrated that he didn’t understand why her organization couldn’t just win by taking out a few leaders. The way that the Blade of Marmora had been operating- and would continue to operate- for many years was to infiltrate the ranks of the Galran empire slowly and be able to take down operations without the need for blowing anyone’s cover. 

Jeff’s ignorance about her situation and the situation of all those being oppressed by the empire made Krolia realize just how alone she was. There were no other operatives here, and all of her communications equipment was damaged in the crash. There was no way for her to contact the Blades and no way for her to get back to the position she held before she’d landed here. 

Krolia walked over to Jeff’s front porch and sat on the steps, clasping her hands on top of her knees and watching dust clouds blow away in the distance. She was lost in thought, thinking about everything she would have to leave if she decided to stay here to protect the lion.

Even if she could find a way to leave or a way to get a message back to the Blades, could she leave the Blue Lion unguarded? Even if she managed to tell them that a Voltron Lion was here on Earth, would they let her leave? An extraction would draw the attention of the Empire, and then her bosses would need an explanation as to why she killed another operative and purposefully crashed on another planet. 

With all this complication, Krolia selfishly wondered if it would be okay for her to just stay on this planet, and retire from the Blades and the Empire completely. But where would she stay? And how would she find a place to stay without drawing suspicion and panic? Jeff had told her that this planet wasn’t aware of the presence of aliens, and common procedure when introducing a planet to foreign life was to bring a welcoming party, and explain to world leaders who they are and that they come in peace, ideally. _‘But,’_ Krolia thought. _‘Walking up to an unaware human and asking them to provide a place of residence is about the farthest possible situation from that.’_

Krolia was so lost in thought that she didn’t even notice when Jeff walked up next to her until he addressed her.

“Hey,” he said, standing beside her awkwardly. 

Krolia looked up at him. “What is it?”

Jeff fidgeted his hands, taking them in and out of his pockets, unable to decide what to do with them. He looked at the ground, and then back at Krolia, trying to figure out the right thing to say. “I...just wanted to apologize for what I said back there. I know it’s gotta be hard trying to figure out how to take down an empire.” 

Krolia looked away from Jeff back out towards the horizon. “Yes. It’s...it takes a toll.”

His face now concerned, Jeff sat down on the steps next to Krolia, and she looked at him apprehensively, eyebrows raised. Jeff spoke.

“I know I don’t know a whole lot right now, but I want to learn. I want to help.”

Krolia’s anxious expression faded to a slight smile, and she shifted towards Jeff slightly, watching him start to smile as well.

“I’ll teach you.”


	3. Different

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!
> 
> Just a brief content warning for some mentions of violence- nothing detailed or graphic, just worries about possible consequences of a blown cover. Also, Krolia almost chokes on her food, but the situation is resolved almost immediately. The first thing is in the paragraph directly after the first set of "----"'s, and the second is in the beginning the 9th paragraph.
> 
> I want to express again my gratitude for all of the support I'm getting from you all, and especially to the nice people who commented on my last chapter- you guys really made my day! 
> 
> Anyways, happy reading to all of you!

After Krolia had finished explaining as much about the Galra empire and the Blade of Marmora as she could- without telling Jeff the names or any information about Blade members that could compromise them, of course- she stood up from the steps, and Jeff stood with her. 

“It’s almost sunset. We should eat,” said Krolia to Jeff as she went to enter the house. Krolia paused before she went inside, seeing Jeff still sitting on the front steps with his face resting on his hand, seemingly watching the sun sink in the sky. “Jeff?”

Jeff turned to look at Krolia. “Sorry, I...it’s just a lot to take in. I’ll be in in a minute, I just need a little while to...process things.

Krolia nodded. “Understandable.” She paused for a moment as she was about to enter the front door, looking as if she was going to say something, but then she didn’t, and just went inside.

\----

As Krolia got the leftovers from yesterday’s dinner out of Jeff’s fridge, she was as deep in thought as Jeff was. Everything that could go wrong just kept running through her mind- her location being found out by the Galra, her and Jeff being captured, her and Jeff being tortured for information, Jeff somehow giving up information about the Blades, her cover being blown, and terrible things happening to her once they found out she was harboring a Voltron lion...they wouldn’t spare Jeff for not knowing about the lion, and she would be the one responsible for that. Did it really matter if he knew or not? If the Galra got close enough to apprehend them, they’d be close enough to scan for the lion, and they’d both be screwed anyways. Should she tell him? It wouldn’t matter either way if the Galra found them. Would she really be protecting him if she didn’t tell him?

Wait. Why was she worried about protecting him? She’d been trained from when she joined the Blades to always put the mission first, and that lives lost were usually a side effect of any mission. She’d never had a problem with this before, or ever even questioned it. She did mourn for those lost who she’d been close to, but she’d never overthought what she could have done to make them safe, to protect them, or gotten hung up on the what-ifs.

_‘What is going on? Why am I obsessing over whether my ability to complete this mission will affect Jeff in a negative way or not?’_ Krolia thought as she sat down at Jeff’s kitchen table to eat. When she heard herself think his name, her heart filled with the feeling of anxiety at the thought of him being a casualty. _‘Why? Why am I having these feelings? I’ve never had thoughts like this before, during, or as a result of any of my missions. Why now?’_ Sure, Krolia had had feelings of remorse about the civilian casualties that were sometimes- or usually- a result of her line of work, but never anxiety at the thought of losing one specific person or creature. 

Krolia took a deep breath in through her nose and blew it out through her mouth exhaustedly. She was spiraling. This hadn’t happened to her since she was a teenager, since before she had joined the Blade and learned how to keep herself calm and rational in the face of things like attachment to people, people who were likely to perish in the crossfire of a mission anyways.

Perish. Krolia felt herself take a sharp intake of breath, and with it came a piece of pork she had been chewing. Krolia coughed to try and dislodge it, and it worked, but Jeff must have heard her because in a few moments he was standing at the door frame, looking concerned.

“Krolia, you okay?”

Krolia looked up at him questioningly, and sheepishly he responded. “I’m a firefighter. I’m used to the fact that when I hear folks coughing it usually means I have to rush to go help them out. And when they stop coughing it isn’t always a good thing.”

She nodded and went back to eating as Jeff got his food out of his fridge and sat down at the table. 

After a few minutes of silence, Krolia spoke up. “So, you’re a firefighter.” 

“Yup.”

“What, exactly, do you do? As a firefighter?”

Jeff launched into a long-winded but clearly heartfelt explanation. “Well, firefighters really are based on the idea that we have a duty to protect people, the citizens that really can’t or don’t know how to protect thems…”

As Krolia listened to Jeff talk about what it was like working as a firefighter, she thought about who he was. How he had helped her, and how maybe his instincts as a firefighter may have been what led him to investigate her crashed ship and rescue her in the first place. She trusted him, but she wasn’t stupid. She knew that one way or another, he was probably going to end up getting hurt as a result of rescuing her, and subsequently taking care of her. Perhaps that was the difference between the two of them- he was willing to put himself on the line to help someone who was hurt, even though there was a risk that it was going to come at a cost to him. 

Maybe that is what made them different. Krolia knew, somehow, that Jeff wouldn’t mind getting hurt or killed if it meant that he’d be protecting people. Maybe that’s what mattered. Maybe if they worked together, that is what could make them unstoppable against Galra forces that came to intercept them, if they ever did.

Or maybe that was a stupid idea, and would just end up getting both of them killed.

Krolia was going to tell Jeff about the lion here on Earth. She was. He had proven to her that he was willing to protect it and the planet it was currently calling home, and he didn’t even know it. So yes, Krolia was going to tell Jeff about Voltron and the lion. She was. 

Soon. Someday soon- when the time was right, she would tell him. She would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again- sorry for the relatively short chapter, I was writing and it seemed like the end of this was the perfect chapter break in what I was writing. Don't worry, though, the next chapter is longer and one that I think that you all will enjoy. See you next chapter!


	4. Krolia's Snowglobe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!
> 
> Please enjoy this next installment- extra long to make up for last chapter.
> 
> Happy reading!

When Krolia went to sleep that night, her mind was still full and spinning with thoughts of her mission. Officially, it would end only when she was extracted by the Blades, and would be marked as failed if she was missing long enough that she was presumed deceased. Krolia’s official assignment was to do anything and everything in her power to keep whatever Voltron lion that was on this planet out of Galra hands. 

Krolia rolled over and sighed. Even after thinking about it for hours, she still really didn’t have any idea what she was going to do. Every good option seemed to have at least five bad consequences, and she still didn’t know when or how to tell Jeff about the lion hidden somewhere on this planet.

Jeff. He had been so nice, so accommodating to her, and she hadn’t done anything to help him in return besides be a burden and steal his bed. She had wanted to sleep on his couch, but he had insisted. It had been several weeks now, but this was still their sleeping arrangement. 

Krolia grunted annoyedly. Just one more problem she had to think about fixing. It bothered her so much that she couldn’t go out and do anything- this stupid planet was too far removed from anything to have come into contact with an alien species, so all she could do was sit on her ass in Jeff’s house eating Jeff’s food and sleeping in Jeff’s bed-

Krolia couldn’t take it anymore. She sat up, threw off the covers, and stormed out of the room, down the stairs, through the living room, and out the front door. When she had gone down the front porch steps and onto the desert sand, she stopped. She didn’t have her knife, and she was wearing borrowed sleeping clothes. Jeff’s borrowed sleeping clothes.

“Dammit!” swore Krolia as she sank down to the ground, feeling the cold desert sand under her feet, and running through her fingers as she took hold of a handful of it in an attempt to ground herself. 

Krolia took another handful of sand and brought it up to her eye level, and watched it slowly run through her fingers, and finally falling to the ground, forming a small cone shape. Krolia sighed and looked up at the stars, feeling lost in how vast they were. She was months, if not years, of travel away from the nearest base of the Blade of Marmora, and she was so far away from where she had grown up that she couldn’t even recognize a single constellation.

Krolia felt so alone. She hadn’t felt this way since she was a little kid, growing up on a base with no one like her, with her parents either busy doing missions onboard or somewhere far, far away. Krolia hated that. She hated that feeling, and she hated having to rely on someone for help in a strange environment. She hated not being self-reliant like she always was and always could be. She hated the feeling of a duty to protect someone caught in the crossfire. 

Krolia hated this. All of this. She heard some small part of her that wished that she’d been unable to take out Lt. Larx and had failed in that way, instead of succeeding and crashing to Earth, complicating everything. Krolia was tired of being a burden. She had worked her whole life to be able to fend for herself and get everything she needed to do done by herself, but she wasn’t able to do that anymore, and it was killing her.

Bringing her knees up to her chest and putting her head in her hands, Krolia told herself that she wasn’t going to let herself cry. She hadn’t cried in years. Getting too emotional was the surest way to compromise a mission, and Krolia had coached herself on keeping those emotions on the inside ever since she’d joined the Blades. 

Krolia looked to the stars again and somehow felt even more alone then she had before. There was hardly any life around here, so the night sky seemingly enveloped everything around her for miles, forming almost a perfect half-circle around her, like a snowglobe. Krolia felt that that was accurate because, for the first time in forever, she was confined to that snowglobe, a small area of practically deserted land protected by a glass sky that she could no longer reach or surpass. 

Remembering her days of exhilarating missions and high stakes, Krolia longed to once again feel like she was flying among the stars. 

\----

After a while, Krolia found that her mind had stopped spinning, and she felt at peace just sitting under the stars, watching the skies for nothing in particular. She felt like the world just might start to be able to make sense again after weeks of nothing feeling like it was in the right place. And, for the first time in a long time, Krolia smiled, thinking that things that finally might start to go right once again, even if that feeling was only going to last for as long as she was sitting here.

\----

Jeff hadn’t been able to sleep that night. Something was bothering him that he couldn’t quite put his finger on, and it didn’t help that his life had been absolutely flipped upside-down by the arrival of this strange alien lady, Krolia. Not strange as in bad, strange as in...different. He had never quite met anyone like that before, someone who had her kind of drive. Or maybe his brain was just over exaggerating their differences because Krolia was purple, and he had never met anyone purple before. Jeff was pretty sure that no one else on earth had ever met anyone who was purple, either. 

An alien- Jeff still couldn’t believe that aliens were out there. Billions of them, and with billions of humans, he couldn’t believe that he had been the first one to meet someone like her. Jeff wasn’t usually a man for huge changes, seeing as the last one that had happened to him resulted in him moving far, far away from his family and most of the things he had grown up knowing. But this change, Krolia coming into his life, felt different. Jeff wasn’t entirely sure how he thought of her as a person- she was so reserved- but he felt he had a responsibility to help her out however he could. It wasn’t like she had any other options besides staying with him, and his mother had raised him to be a good host.

With Krolia staying with him, it was surprising how much of Jeff’s life really didn’t change at all. He never really invited friends over, so that didn’t need to change, and he often passed out on the couch after working long shifts when it didn’t really seem worth it to climb the stairs. The only thing he wasn’t used to was walking into a room in his house only to see another person sitting in a chair in his living room, reading, or sitting at his kitchen table eating. 

At first, seeing her around the house had surprised him, but in time, her presence didn’t even seem out of place anymore. In fact, he could almost say that he had gotten used to it. After a few years of living alone, it almost felt nice to have someone else around the house, just being there. The desert gets pretty lonely sometimes, after all. Especially after coming home from a long shift at the fire station- which was always busy. 

Jeff had always found it disorienting coming home to almost complete silence after work, but some part of him liked the contrast. Sometimes, a little quiet was just what you needed. Jeff had considered moving to the city in the past for an easier commute and less mind-numbing quiet, but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it. He’d miss his little corner of the desert too much. Besides, he wouldn’t be able to see the stars as well anymore. 

\----

Jeff didn’t know why fortune had dictated that Krolia land on his lawn that night, but he was glad that it did. Historically life really hadn’t been that interesting in years, and he was glad someone had come along to shake it up a little. Even though Krolia had seemed real stressed over the past few weeks, Jeff really couldn’t blame her. He couldn’t say he’d be half as calm if something like that’d happened to him; crashing on an alien planet and not being able to leave.

Knowing that he wasn’t going to get half a minute of sleep with the way his mind was turning and twisting with all these different scenarios, Jeff decided to do what he always did when he couldn’t sleep- go out on his front porch and look at the night sky until his rocking chair and the endless desert sand lulled him to sleep.

But, before he opened the screen door, he saw something through it that surprised him- it was a dark figure sitting out a little ways away from the deck. Jeff started at the possibility that there was a stranger sitting on his front lawn, that was miles away from the city. He peered through the mesh of the screen to try and get a closer look at the figure, and his heart rate slowed when he realized that it was just Krolia. 

_‘What is she doing, sitting out there all by herself just lookin’ at everything? Oh,’_ Jeff realized. _‘She’s lookin’ at the stars, just like I do when I can’t sleep.’_

Realizing that and not wanting to disturb her, Jeff went out onto the deck and closed the door behind him as quietly as he could. 

Jeff sat in his chair and leaned back to gaze up at the stars, but before long, he felt his gaze drift down to where Krolia was sitting, doing the same as he normally did. He couldn’t say exactly why he was drawn to looking at her, but she just looked so peaceful, for once, that he just couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away. 

Leaning back into the sand, fingers shifting ever-so-slightly every so often, Krolia looked just so different than she normally did. He saw that her shoulders were relaxed, and he could just tell that she was smiling. Jeff smiled, too, empathetic, and felt stress release from places he hadn’t even realized were carrying stress. His shoulders dropped and he felt the knots in his stomach loosen. Thinking of even a small smile on her face made him feel as if he had succeeded on even the smallest level in helping her feel safe and secure in his home.. Jeff supposed that you really could look at stars from anywhere in the universe, and they’d feel just like home.

Jeff turned his eyes back to the sky, still smiling and feeling calmer than before. He felt confident that he’d be able to look at these stars forever and never get bored because there was far more behind them than he’d ever realized. Too much for him to ever imagine, and that was fine with him. Krolia landing here had told him that sometimes you didn’t need to know what or why something was happening to you, just that it would expand your universe far beyond what you had ever imagined before.


	5. To Watch The Stars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!
> 
> Please, enjoy this chapter! It's one of my favourites so far.
> 
> Anyways, happy reading!

After that night, a few more days passed relatively uneventfully. A few of those nights, Krolia found herself unable to sleep and headed outside to watch the stars. It had become almost a ritual for her, to the point where she almost looked forward to the nights where she had trouble sleeping. 

One of these nights, she had been able to fall asleep quite easily, but awoke to moonlight shining very brightly into the window, almost lighting up the room.

Suddenly feeling very awake, Krolia looked out to the sky outside of the window. The moon was full and hanging beautifully in the sky. She found the only moon of this planet to be quite fascinating- not that it was an anomaly in any way, or that it had some magical effect, but just in the fact that it was beautiful to her. 

Sitting up, Krolia pulled aside her covers and made her way over to the window. She smiled at the moon and its stars, and walked over to the door of the bedroom, making her way down to the front lawn to enjoy a night of watching the stars.

\----

Krolia stepped onto the porch and closed the door behind her quietly as not to wake Jeff, who she knew was sleeping in the living room. She headed down the front steps with a small smile on her face, eager to get into her usual nighttime routine. 

However, Krolia halted when she heard her name called out from behind her.

“Krolia,” said Jeff from his chair, a small note of fondness in his voice. “It’s late- I didn’t think you were coming out tonight.”

Krolia turned to face Jeff, her hand resting on the banister before her. “Wh-what do you mean? How do you know that I come out here at night?” Krolia looked at Jeff questioningly, who slowly stood up from his chair and walked over to Krolia.

“I...well, I have to admit that I’ve been in the habit of coming out here at night for years,” explained Jeff with a nervous look on his face. Krolia just looked at him, considering his words. “The night I saw you come out here, for the first time, I have to admit I was blown away by, uh, how different you looked-” Jeff stammered. “I mean, there’s nothing wrong with the way you look now, it’s just…” Krolia couldn’t tell for sure, but she thought that Jeff was blushing. He looked down at his hands as he fidgeted with them. “You looked so happy, it was almost like you were...you were home again.”

With that, Jeff looked back up at Krolia, and his eyes portrayed the look of someone who didn’t want to lose the trust of someone he cared for. It took a second for Krolia to respond, but when she did, she spoke softly. “My home isn’t here, you know that, Jeff.”

Jeff took a deep breath. “Yeah, I know that, but you just looked so-” He took a pause, calming his nerves, and continued. “Listen, Krolia,” he said, his tone of voice matching hers. “I know you don’t totally feel at home here, but I want you to!” Jeff’s eyes were sad now, but hopeful. “I want you to be happy while you’re on Earth- I know it wasn’t your choice to be here, but I want you to at least enjoy the situation the universe has put you in!”

Krolia looked up to meet Jeff’s eyes. “It was my choice.”

“What?” Jeff looked at Krolia in disbelief.

Looking away, Krolia responded. “It was my choice that resulted in me crashing here. I don’t expect you to understand, but I did it for the mission. My mission.”

“What mission?!” Jeff was speaking louder now, his voice strained.

“The mission to stop the Empire from retrieving the Voltron lion that’s here on Earth!” Krolia was tense now. They were both tense. Neither Krolia nor Jeff had expected the conversation to lead here, but their conversations seemed to be leading to arguments more and more. They didn’t want it to be this way, but they didn’t know what to do about it, either.

Jeff looked on at Krolia in a sort of shock, while Krolia refused to look him in the eye. A heavy, regret-laden silence hung in the air between them for a few moments before it was broken.

“Krolia, why didn’t you tell me?” Jeff’s voice became quiet again, and he looked at Krolia with a sort of remorse- both for her, who was stuck far from home, and for himself, who wondered how he could even begin to understand her situation. 

Krolia didn’t speak for a moment, then looked back at Jeff. “Because I didn’t want to put you in danger. It’s silly, but if the Galra found me and then discovered that you knew the things that I did, you would be in danger.” Jeff couldn’t tell for sure, but he thought he heard Krolia’s voice, which was normally so steady and sure of itself, wavering slightly.

“Krolia…” said Jeff softly, quietly moving his hand closer to hers on the stair railing. “I don’t know why you would think that I’d care about that anyway.” Their eyes met. “I told you, I want to help. As best I can. And I don’t care if I get caught by the Galra- I mean, it wouldn’t be ideal, but if it meant that I was helping you save the universe, it would be worth it to me.”

Krolia relaxed slightly feeling as if a great pressure had been taken out of her chest. “You’d make a great Blade member, Jeff,” she said, smiling cleverly as she looked at him.

Jeff laughed. “I think I’m missing a few of the key qualifications.”

“Yeah, a few of the big ones,” joked Krolia, laughing alongside him.

As their laughter died down, Jeff paused for a second, looking down at his and Krolia’s almost touching hands, and his smile disappeared into the same nervous look he was wearing earlier. Jeff cleared his throat. “So, would you like to join me? There’s plenty of room up here.”

Krolia smiled sweetly back at him, and subtly moved her hand so that her fingertips were touching his. 

“I’d love that, Jeff.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the shorter chapter, but I felt like I just came up on a good end point for this chapter. Have a great day everyone!


	6. Seprate Cultures

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krolia and Jeff have a lazy day- or, lazy for them- watching television and discussing their cultures' similarities and differences. But how much does Jeff really understand about Krolia?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I just wanted to say that I'm so very grateful for all the support that you guys have given this fic- it means a lot to me, and as of right now, I love telling Jeff and Krolia's story.
> 
> This work is supported by readers like you. Thank you.
> 
> Anyways, happy reading!

The next morning, Krolia woke up in the bed feeling rested and content even though the amount of sleep she had gotten the night before wasn't exactly...optimal. She sat up, and got out of bed and dressed before heading downstairs.

When she got downstairs, Krolia was welcomed by the sight of Jeff sitting in front of the television eating cereal- he appeared to be watching some sort of game show. 

Seeing Krolia, Jeff muted the television and turned to face her. “If you want some, it’s on the kitchen table. The cereal, I mean.”

Krolia nodded in response and went into the kitchen to get some breakfast as the television began playing again in the background.

As she poured herself a bowl of cereal, Krolia found herself wondering more about Earth’s culture, and how it compared to hers. She carried her bowl to the living room and sat a few feet away from Jeff on the couch to watch television with him. They had done this before several times, but the conversation was usually slim to none, and Krolia hadn’t ever seen a show like this. At least, not in a long time.

“Jeff, what show is this?” asked Krolia, turning to face him. Jeff swallowed a bite of cereal before responding.

“It’s called Jeopardy- why, does it look familiar to you or something?”

“Yes, I just...can’t figure out why.” Krolia’s eyebrows wrinkled in thought.

“Damn, I always knew Alex Trebek was an alien. He knows too much to be a human,” Jeff remarked deadpan.

“No, I feel like I know this show from somewhere...this format seems very familiar to me…” Krolia stared at the television intensely as if that would help her remember the elusive reason why she recognized this show, and then it hit her. “Ah! Garfle Warfle Snick!” Krolia exclaimed after a moment, startling Jeff. “That’s what it reminds me of!”

“What’s that?” asked Jeff. 

Calmer now but still excited, Krolia turned to Jeff. “It’s a show from space! It used to be a small thing, but the Galra bought the company and turned it into something that aired universe-wide!” Krolia was grinning now. “I can’t believe you have something like it here on Earth!”

Jeff exhaled, half laughing. “That’s crazy. To think space and Earth have something so similar- I wonder how many other things are like that.”

Krolia set her breakfast on the end table and turned to Jeff excitedly. “Me too!” Jeff turned towards Krolia again curiously, and she met his gaze with anticipation. “Can you show me some of the other programs you have here!? I’d love to see them.”

Jeff grinned. “Of course- I don’t have anything to do today. Do you?”

“Nope. Let’s...get this party started, yeah?” Krolia grinned back.

“Great. I’ll go make us some popcorn.”

Krolia looked up at Jeff as he walked into the kitchen, still smiling. “I can’t wait!”

\-----

After a morning, which turned into an afternoon, which turned into an evening of immersing themselves in Jeff's television and all it had to offer, Jeff and Krolia were exhausted. In front of them were several lists, comparing practically everything about Earth and Galran culture, from television to clothing to time conversions, as well as a couple of bowls with just loose popcorn kernels left and a few plates and drinking glasses. They had spent way too much time drafting up lists on all the similarities between many of the cultures of Earth and the Galra Empire.

A few times during the day, Krolia found herself looking at Jeff as he concentrated on writing something down. 'He looks so intent on learning everything I'm telling him.' 

Krolia also found herself smiling during those times.

It took them a while, but when they were satisfied with the endpoint of their work, for the time being at least, Jeff and Krolia finally felt themselves relax, letting his couch swallow them both.

“That was very fun,” said Krolia as she leaned back on the couch, satisfied with everything she had learned. Also, she had to admit that spending the day with Jeff bonding over the shared parts of both of their cultures- or, just spending the day with Jeff in general, as she let herself consider- was a lot of fun. 

“Yeah, I agree,” said Jeff, leaning back and resting his elbow on the back of the couch. Jeff was really glad that he had gotten to spend the day hanging out with Krolia. Jeff really was curious about Galran culture, but he was gladder that he’d gotten to learn more about Krolia. 

Mirroring Jeff, Krolia put her elbow on the back of the couch as well. When Jeff looked at what she was doing and looked at her, raising his eyebrows quizzically, she laughed.

Jeff smiled, and chuckled slightly, shaking his head jokingly. “You really don’t look comfortable like that at all, Krolia.”

Krolia laughed, but she didn’t put her arm down. “I’m just trying to appreciate your culture, Jeff. Don’t laugh at me.”

“Oh, I definitely am.” Jeff laughed more, then after a moment, his face settled into a neutral expression as he looked at Krolia.

Looking at Jeff, Krolia’s stomach suddenly felt a lot lighter. She laughed somewhat nervously and looked away as she pulled one of her legs up onto the couch, still facing Jeff. 

Krolia looked at Jeff again. “So, I’ve been curious about this…” Krolia began to ask.

“Yes?” Jeff asked, curiously. 

Krolia looked down at her hands that she held in her lap and spoke again. “I was wondering...how do human relationships work?” she asked, looking back up at Jeff.

“Human relationships...like, dating?” asked Jeff, tilting his head.

“Yes,” replied Krolia. “We’ve discussed so many things about culture, and I was just wondering if it was the same for you as it is for...us.” Krolia silently raised her eyes, waiting for his response.

“Well, uh…” said Jeff, running a hand through his hair in thought. “It’s mostly...usually, people fall in love, or uh, they usually go datest…” 

Jeff took a breath and a moment to collect himself. 

“Usually, people realize they like each other, but don’t tell each other until they know that the other person likes them back..." Jeff stopped again. "Krolia, I sound like a middle schooler, I really don’t know what I’m talking about-” 

“It’s alright,” said Krolia, reaching out to place a hand on Jeff’s arm. Jeff looked up at her in surprise, and Krolia slowly withdrew her hand and rested it on the back of the couch. “Jeff, please remember that you’re the only good source of information I have- any information you can give me is good information,” Krolia said reassuringly.

A silence hung in the air for a moment as Jeff considered his words.

“O-okay." He continued- “When they know that they like each other, they usually… hold hands, or kiss, or go on a date, something that shows that they enjoy each other’s company…” Jeff inhaled and looked away briefly before looking back at her again. “If they're still in love after a while, one of them probably proposes marriage, and then they go on to do...other stuff, move in together, have kids, you know. Not necessarily in that order.”

“Ah, okay,” said Krolia, looking distant for a moment. "Thank you."

“What is it, Krolia?”

“It’s just…” Krolia replied. “Most of what you said is the same for the Galra, only, unfortunately, marriage has really become a tradition of the past for us. After Zarkon- the Galran Emperor- came into power, the Empire has really discouraged things that distract from battle and the war, like marriages, for example. People still get married, but it’s just not as common as it used to be.”

“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that, Krolia,” said Jeff, concerned at her virtual distance after he brought it up.

“No, no, it’s fine,” said Krolia, handwaving the issue. “I’m accustomed to it. It’s just that my parents eventually split up after an argument about whether or not they should get married." Krolia paused for a moment, glancing away briefly. "My mother was a commander in Zarkon’s army, and my father was an undercover Blade- marrying my mother would have put my father at risk.” Krolia looked down sadly and continued her story. “They already had me, and I told you about how the Blades are with emotional attachments. He asked, but they said it was too much of a risk. The Galra...don't exactly treat those who go against their policies nicely, and too much hostility from the Empire could have cost my dad his mission.” Krolia shook her head. “That and a few other things just pushed my mom to the edge, and she...left my father. She ran away, and my father had to move on with his mission- which wasn’t exactly safe with a baby- so he handed me over to the Blades at his home base to raise me. Eventually, my father was killed on a mission- he was falling behind, and it was either save him or be compromised, and the Blade he was working with chose the latter.”

“Krolia, I’m so sorry.” Jeff looked like he desperately wanted to say something, anything that could make Krolia feel better. To make her feel safe.

“No, don’t be, it’s just…” Krolia rubbed her eyes with one hand. “I’m not really great at sharing these things with people.”

“Well, if it helps, I could-” 

“No,” she said suddenly as she stood up from the couch. “I-I’ve already told you too much.” Krolia wouldn’t make eye contact with Jeff, though he was trying.

Jeff stood too, suddenly even more concerned. He took a step closer to Krolia and placed a hand on her shoulder, but Krolia shrugged it off forcefully. “Krolia…” Jeff began, voice full of pain.

Krolia shook her head, and again, said no. She took a shaky breath. “Jeff, I...I’m sorry. Please, excuse me.”

And with that, Krolia swiftly walked over to the stairs and up to the bedroom. She left Jeff behind her, looking after her with no idea what he should say. What he could say. Just like that day in the shed. Aloof. Different.

Distant.

That night, Jeff watched the stars alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone looking forward to seeing some of Krolia's backstory?


	7. Look to The Past...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Krolia is still upset over her conversation with Jeff, and reminisces on some of her memories from back during her time with the blade. Meanwhile, Jeff wonders what he can do to make the situation better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!
> 
> My apologies for the delay of the release of this chapter, I've been insanely busy these past few weeks. One of the things I've been busy with is writing a Voltron DND campaign for my friends to play (hey guys!), so let me know if you'd be interested in seeing that up on here. 
> 
> MINOR VIOLENCE- forewarning for a non-graphic fight in this chapter that takes place during a training session.
> 
>  
> 
> Happy reading!

When she got upstairs, the first thing Krolia went to was her uniform, hanging pressed in the closet where Jeff had left it. She had long ago stored her blade in the sheath, where she usually kept it during her everyday routine but had neglected recently. Because she had felt safe.

Today, she picked it up again. 

Looking at the blade again after what felt like so long, but had only been a few weeks, memories of Krolia’s early days training with the Blades came to mind. Almost wistfully, she looked back on her simpler days. Days of feelings and fighting, and knowing that no matter what happened, her life would still be the same as it had always been- orderly, sensible, and full of tragedy. 

\----

_Krolia was 17 years old, and was only two years into service for the Blades, even though she had been with them since she was a baby. She still took basic academic classes and wasn’t able to go undercover yet, but she was always on reserves in case of a fight and kept in shape._

_One day, as Krolia was training on the deck with Thace- a member only a year younger than herself- Grak, who was the head of their base, appeared in the doorway with a stranger in a Blade uniform._

_“Listen up!” said Grak. She clapped the stranger on the back, and they appeared to cough a bit. Grak had never been the most reserved person, even with simple gestures. “This is Anton- they’re a new recruit here, fresh from the trials. I expect you to treat them as you would any other member.” She turned to Anton and spoke a little quieter, but Grak had never had the best...inside voice. Krolia winced remembering the class on weaponry she had to take with Grak as the instructor- she was sure her ears would never stop ringing._

_“Anton, just find someone to practice with. I’d suggest the two over there-” Grak pointed at Krolia and Thace, who were half-assedly pretending not to listen. “-They’re about your age, and they’re good recruits. They’ll show you the ropes.”_

_Anton nodded, seeming somewhat intimidated._

_Grak bobbed her head in return and turned to the deck to address them. “Dismissed.” She turned away and exited, with Anton watching her, looking as if they desperately wanted to do the same._

_Grinning and cocking her head, Krolia casually leaned on her extended blade. “Hey, Anton!” They whipped their head around to look at Krolia. “Come here! Thace is getting boring- I want to see what you can do.”_

_As Thace made sounds of protest, Anton began to walk over to Krolia. They walked towards them slowly at first but quickened their pace as they noticed that everyone was watching them cross the floor._

_When they reached Krolia and Thace, Anton stood before them quietly, but for sure not meekly, Krolia noticed. She looked Anton up and down, scanning for weak spots and places that would be advantageous to attack. They had darker hair that rested just around their ears, except for a very small braid resting on their shoulder originating behind their left ear. That combined with darker lilac-coloured skin and large, deep-set eyes that were overwhelmed by all-black sclera made for somewhat of an innocent look, but Krolia knew better than that. It had been drilled into her brain over and over again that a pretty face did not equal innocent- a lesson many before her had to learn the hard way. Plus, they’d passed the trials, which meant that they were good._

_Finished evaluating, Krolia met Anton’s eyes. “Are you ready?” she questioned._

_Anton tentatively nodded their head yes, and raised their blade as Krolia did the same._

_They both stood in a readied stance, as Thace backed up to give them space. Now, practically no one on the floor was pretending not to watch the newcomer. They all wanted to see how Anton would perform. Even some of the more seasoned members who happened to be training stopped for a moment to watch- they were always scouting for people who would be good fits on missions._

_They circled each other for a few moments before Krolia struck. She lunged with her blade at Anton, who easily blocked it with their own. Unfazed, Krolia went in with an uppercut to the jaw. However, she wasn’t expecting for Anton to block that, too._

_Anton dodged the blow and grabbed Krolia’s wrist, twisting it behind her back. Krolia retaliated with a couple of quick kicks to Anton’s shins, causing them to loosen their grip on her wrist. Krolia slipped out of their hold, spinning around to face them again._

_They squared up, circling each other once again, and this cycle continued for a while longer. Blades clashing, blows landing, and figures dodging until eventually, someone gained the upper hand._

_Krolia had them- she knew she did. Anton was breathing hard- she knew they were exhausted. And exhausted people make sloppy mistakes._

_Krolia made one final leap towards Anton, hoping to tackle them. As Krolia lept, it was as if the world went into slow motion._

_As she neared Anton, their expression changed. While before they had appeared to be exhausted and distant, their eyes refocused and narrowed on Krolia._

_“Oh, sh…,” thought Krolia._

_Anton darted their hand out and grabbed Krolia’s wrist as she was still in midair. Time seemed to speed up again as Anton brought the arm they were holding Krolia with down hard._

_Before she knew it, Krolia was lying on her back with Anton’s blade to her throat. They were standing over her with a smirk on their face- the face of success. Krolia knew when she was beaten._

_Krolia groaned. “I yield.”_

_Hearing this, Anton removed their blade and extended a hand to help her up. “You know,” they said. “You really shouldn’t let your guard down like that. One day it’ll cost you much more than your pride.”_

_Krolia smiled._

_“I haven’t lost a battle yet.”_

\----

Krolia traced the symbol on the hilt of the blade. It was the symbol the Blade of Marmora operated under, and it meant something like hope, or secrecy- hope in secrecy, that was it- in Jeff’s language. 

The symbol called to Krolia not only memories of her time with the Blade, but her time with the people she had met there as well. She smiled, remembering the days fighting her old companions like Thace and...and Anton with this knife. She held those memories in a special place in her heart. 

Which is why it was so hard to let those memories go. To accept that she may never see those people again. The Blade may hold the opinion that those people didn’t matter more than the mission, but Krolia had disagreed- she always would.

Krolia sighed and hesitated as she went to put her blade away. Staying here on Earth- whether it be for Jeff or to protect the Lion- might mean losing those people forever. Was Krolia ready to accept that? She wasn’t sure if she was. So, she put on her sheath and kept the blade with her- just for now. To remind her of home.

To remind her of the people she wasn’t prepared to lose. 

\----

Jeff

 

What did he do wrong? He’d been thinking about that for the rest of the night. Why...would she do that? She’d just decided to open up to him, and when he’d tried to help, she’d just run off. 

Again, Jeff was stuck in limbo. He had no clue what to do- he felt helpless. 

Brushing some of the things littered on the floor to the side with his foot, Jeff looked at the stairwell. Some part of him really wanted to walk up those stairs and check on Krolia, but he knew she had left for a reason. He knew he shouldn’t bother her if she didn’t want to be talked to.

But still, he hoped that she was okay. He really wanted her to be okay. And he wanted her to still trust him when she came back downstairs. 

Jeff really didn’t know much about Krolia’s past, but he wanted to learn more. Whatever she was going through, he wanted to help. But, he couldn’t do that without her being willing to talk to him. 

Sitting down on the couch, Jeff put his head in his hands and sighed. He really didn’t know what to do, but he wished that he did. He felt trapped not being able to help Krolia. 

He felt helpless. They both did.


	8. ...And There You May Find Answers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeff goes to sleep thinking about an old flame of his, but his memories don't take him where he thought they would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello guys!
> 
> I know these updates are coming few and far between right now, but my schedule is kinda tight right now. However, I love writing this fic and will continue to do so for as long as I can :)
> 
> Also, we broke 10,000 words! That limit has been a goal of mine for a long time, so that makes this chapter extra special to me!
> 
> Happy reading!

When Jeff went to bed that night, it was thinking of Caroline. Jeff’s old, old flame- back in his high school days, back when he was still around his parents. She was from Georgia, but she’d moved to Texas during their freshman year.

Jeff had admired her, even from when he had first seen her. She didn’t really have the eyes for Jeff, though- an aspiring mechanic wasn’t really her dream guy. No, when she had eyes for someone, it was for the guy who thought he was ‘cool’ for taking three college classes in his second year of high school. The only way Jeff had gotten anywhere near her was because he somehow convinced her to tutor him.

Somehow.

Jeff had secretly figured- or, hoped against all hope- that she’d said yes because she secretly liked him, but it was probably just because she wanted money. That was until Jeff had charmed her with his stunning intelligence and rugged good looks.

Or that was how he told the story, anyway. Caroline had always rolled her eyes and grinned in his direction before telling her version of the story- the real story.

So, Caroline had agreed to start tutoring Jeff partially because he was kinda cute, she would admit. But that wasn’t it- she also saw that he wanted to actually do well in his classes, or at least the ones that interested him. She agreed to start tutoring the week after Christmas.

“Just in time to cram for midterms,” as Jeff said.

‘ _Caroline always laughed just a little when I said that_ ,’ remembered Jeff wistfully. He sighed as he let himself sink back into his memories.

Caroline must have really wanted Jeff to do very well because she spent almost every day left in their winter break tutoring him for a few hours a day. Eventually, her snotty- ‘ _Don’t be rude, Jeff,_ ’- boyfriend got pissed, and asked her why he wasn’t important enough to her. She argued back that she didn’t have to hang out with him every day. He yelled something back about how if that was true she sure was spending a lot of time with that Jeff kid, and Jeff guessed that that made her realize something.

Well, it sure must have, because after midterms, what was supposed to be their last session started out like that and ended up with them making out in Caroline’s living room.

And after that, the rest was history.

Every day after school after sophomore year, Jeff and Caroline would always walk out to their cars together- because of course, they always parked right next to each other- and take way too long to say goodbye. They’d go on study dates, double dates, regular dates, and everything in between. No one had ever made Jeff feel the way he did besides Caroline.

When Jeff’s home life got tough, Caroline was there. When Caroline was working herself too hard, Jeff was there. They were always there for each other, no matter what came between. Their romance was one for the 90’s rom-com- Caroline’s ex that was too smart for his own good even went out and got himself a boyfriend, so he wasn’t bothering them anymore. Which was good, because when Jeff and Caroline were there together, they didn’t want to let anyone else in.

Life wasn’t perfect, but they had each other. They weren’t perfect, but life had set them on their course. By their senior year, they honestly thought that they would be together forever. 

But Jeff didn’t want to think about that right now- promises made and broken that long ago were too painful to think about. He just wanted to bask in the memories of his time with Caroline, because he felt like that was something he would never get again. It was too… perfect. He didn’t want anything else right now. The little voice nagging at him in the back of his head said he might feel otherwise in the future, but Jeff didn’t want to get his hopes up. He was a perfectly happy man, living a contented life alone in the solitude of his house- except for Krolia, for now, but who knew how long that was going to last. Yes, he was content being alone for now, no attachments. He had the warmth of his past memories of friends and family during their good times, and his friends and coworkers down at the station. That was people enough for him.

So what if he felt a little aching loneliness every so often? That happened to everyone- he wasn’t special. He just didn’t feel the need to act on it. It always went away, eventually. 

He had his workshop, his bike, and those memories to keep him company. 

Jeff always went back to those memories, in the end. There was just something about her, something about Caroline Sanda that had always made him smile. Remembering her, he felt comfort and warmth, and the freedom to be himself. Caroline had always given him freedom.

Whenever Jeff felt like he couldn’t sleep, and it was too cold or too cloudy or he was feeling too miserable to go outside, his thoughts of Caroline helped him get through the night. She had helped his anxieties go away back then, and she seemed to still have that effect on him now. 

So then, thinking of her, Jeff slipped off into sleep and his memories of Caroline soon became dreams. Dates, joking, laughter, fighting and making up all blended together into one big mush of memories long left behind- or maybe they weren’t. Because, as Jeff dreamed of kissing Caroline, he felt her hair through his fingers but suddenly something changed- he opened his eyes and saw himself, but suddenly, he wasn’t a teenager anymore, and Caroline’s hair wasn’t long anymore- it was short. And purple. Jeff turned his eyes over to her face and saw Krolia looking back at him. She smiled, and Jeff felt his face soften and his heart melt, just like how he had felt around Caroline- except this wasn’t her. She was the only one who’d ever made him feel like that, and this wasn’t her. This was definitely not her. It wasn’t.

Jeff wrenched himself out of their embrace, and as he did, he felt himself jolt awake. He was sitting on a couch in his darkened living room, listening to the rain pitter-patter on his windows. 

He looked around. No Caroline, no Krolia. God, it had been so long since he’d seen her. He felt his heart ache as he processed how he felt. Sighing, and taking the blankets off of himself as he rose to get a glass of water from the kitchen, all of the memories from his time with Caroline kept flooding back to him. This time, without the filter of a sleepy haze. He remembered feeling flustered, and helpless, then lovestruck as he had fallen for her back then.

Then, unbidden, memories of Krolia came to Jeff. He remembered not knowing what to do as she fell into his life, not understanding anything about her and struggling to learn more. He remembered being curious, and listening, rapt, as she talked about what her life was like back home.

Then, he remembered sitting on the porch that one night, lonely, watching her watch the stars.

Then, he remembered the way she made him feel when she touched his hand, when they watched the night sky and just talked. With no one else around. With no one else to let in.

Then, he remembered how Caroline had made him feel.

Then, he realized that Krolia had been making him feel the same way.

At that, Jeff set his glass down on the counter with a loud _clink_ and braced himself against it as he looked into inky nothingness.

“Well, shit.”


	9. Thinking And Dreaming Of You/Then, He Remembered

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, some feelings are dug through and some are left for a later date. Seeing where Jeff and Krolia are right now, maybe that's for the best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! 
> 
> Sorry that I haven't updated in a while- life gets in the way of writing, of course. Of course, I hope you enjoy this chapter, and happy reading! Time for things to get rolling.

That dream again. It was her- it was always her.

\-----

For the next few days, Krolia never left his head. She had started to come down from her room for more than just to eat and work on her ship, but Jeff still didn’t know how to talk to her. He felt like he had really struck a nerve when he asked her about her past, but he didn’t know what to do.

He supposed that maybe he could just apologize, but he didn’t know how. Krolia seemed so absorbed in her own world these days, it seemed like she wasn’t even there. 

\-----

Jeff was sitting at the kitchen table, immersed in reading an article on his phone when Krolia walking past caught his attention. She was reading a book and seemed totally lost in her own world. He looked up from his phone and got her attention.

“Krolia?”

“Hm?” Krolia looked over to Jeff, very obviously exhausted.

Jeff set his phone on the table and looked up at her, concerned. “Hey, are you…” 

Jeff remembered how she reacted the last time he asked her to open up to him. “I mean, have you been getting enough sleep? Recently?”

Krolia was looking at Jeff, but she didn’t really seem to be paying much attention. “Oh, um, yeah. No worries.”

“When was the last time you ate anything?” 

“Oh, I…” She paused. “Around dinner last night.”

Jeff was starting to look really concerned now. “Krolia, you should eat something.”

“No, don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine”

“No, Krolia, I’m serious.” Jeff finally seemed to have Krolia’s full attention. “I’ll make you something if you want?” He offered.

Krolia set her book down on the kitchen table and pulled a chair out for herself without saying a word. 

“Jeff.” Krolia paused, before looking away and sighing. Jeff sat there, waiting quietly for her to continue. 

“Jeff,” she started again, meeting his eyes. “I know this is about how I reacted when I told you about my past.” She paused for a second. “But you have to know that it’s not about you, truly. The Galra Empire has just taken so much from me, it’s hard to discuss sometimes.”

Jeff looked at Krolia’s hands laying in front of her on the table, then back up to her face. “Yeah, uh, I get that.” Jeff swallowed. “It’s hard for me too, sometimes.”

Krolia nodded. “We can talk about it when we’re ready.” Jeff bowed his head in silent agreement. Krolia reached over and squeezed Jeff’s hand. “Until then, we can be there for each other in different ways.”

They smiled at each other, and all seemed right with the world.

\------

“Krolia, what am I supposed to do with this part? It makes no sense to me.”

She laughed and walked over to Jeff. “This isn’t even a part, Jeff. It’s a tool,” she said, taking it from him. “This is what you use it for.” Krolia spun the instrument in her fingers, then bent over the open compartment to show him how to use it.

Jeff couldn’t help but only half pay attention to Krolia’s work. He was looking at her eyes, and where they were looking. _“They’re such a pretty color,”_ he thought as he watched them dart around, looking for parts, pieces. He was looking at her lips, pursed in thought. He let himself wonder, wander to places it probably shouldn’t. 

Jeff snapped back to reality when Krolia stood up and handed him the tool, whose name he had totally spaced on, probably due to all his...wondering.

“Alright, now let’s see you try to use it.”

_“Oh, shit, I really hope she doesn’t expect me to be able to use this very well,”_ thought Jeff as he looked inside Krolia’s ship. 

Leaning inside, he put the tool on the thing he thought looked most like the inverse of the...screw head? Hammer? Jeff looked at Krolia with a look that said, ‘Is this right?’ 

It must have been pretty evident that Krolia knew he had no clue what he was doing because she laughed and stepped closer to Jeff to help him actually figure out how he was actually supposed to use the thing. 

_‘I really wish she’d just kiss me,’_ Jeff thought as he helped Krolia repair his ship. That thought had replaced the persistent thoughts of wishing that she’d just talk to him again after they finally made up a few days ago. He had thought that them speaking again would help him feel more fulfilled- that it would be enough- but it just wasn’t. Jeff just really hoped that he wouldn’t have to live with ‘not enough’ for forever.

\-----

Krolia was starting to wonder how much Jeff really cared about her. She hadn’t had anyone in her life as interested in her well being since, well, Anton, and it felt weird. Very weird. Thace had cared about her, too, but that seemed different somehow. 

She sighed. Krolia could see herself falling for Jeff- just like how she had fallen for Anton- but she just couldn’t block out the thought that it was destined to end badly, just like basically every other relationship she’d had before plummeting to Earth.

It seemed like a cruel punishment for trying to save the universe, but even though she had been bitter about it in the beginning, she couldn’t help but be glad. Krolia couldn’t stop herself from thinking that she was glad she had landed here because it meant that she got to meet Jeff. It wasn’t like she was trying very hard, though.

From that day in the shed where she had caught him looking at her in a way that couldn’t really be explained away as Jeff just zoning out, she had begun to look at him a little differently. 

Now, every so often, she’d find herself looking at his arms when he was working in the shed with her, or checking out his expression when he was cooking or laughing.

They’d begun to laugh around each other more often these days- they’d also been spending a lot more time together. They had to anyway, seeing as they were confined to such a tight area in the first places. Their meetings had slowly transitioned from curious exchanges of information to starting to talk about pretty much everything under every sun in the universe.

Jeff talked about his childhood with his two brothers in a small town, and Krolia told him about what it was like growing up on a military base.

“Yeah, it must seem pretty crazy to you- living on a Blade base wasn’t really strange to me because it’s basically all I’ve known!”

Jeff chuckled and smiled, remnants of a conversation now fading. He looked at his watch, then back up at Krolia.

“Gee, it’s getting pretty late. Do you think we should head off to bed?”

“Yeah, that sounds good to me,” said Krolia, yawning. She stood up to head towards the stairs but stopped when she saw Jeff reaching inside the sofa-side cabinet to get the sheets and pillows he slept with every night. Krolia hesitated, but her sympathetic side made her speak up.

“Hey, Jeff?”

He looked up at her. “Yeah?”

Krolia’s fingers fidgeted. “I feel bad taking your bed when you’re the one who’s done so much for me.”

“Well, I’m not going to ask you to sleep on the couch. You shouldn’t have to,” Jeff said somewhat confusedly.

“That’s not what I was suggesting.”

“What are you suggesting, then?”

“Well, your bed upstairs has plenty of room. There’s no reason why I should be hogging it all.”

Jeff stood. “Are you suggesting we share it?”

Krolia didn't look away from Jeff. “Well, yes. Not if it makes you uncomfortable, though,” she said quickly.

“No no no,” Jeff said. “I’m sure it’ll be much more comfortable than my couch.” He laughed a bit.

“Okay then.”

They both smiled, feeling the tension leaving their bodies. That night, they both slept better than they had in weeks.


End file.
